Reincarnation
by crazypandagirl
Summary: Final installment of the Shinigami Spirit Guardian Trilogy. After years of missing the first reincarnation of the love of his life, and having only the hint left by his sister before she left that he will meet Adrina again soon, how will the love from over 800 years ago end: tragedy and betrayal once more, or will it be the ending they deserved from the start?
1. Chapter 1

Kidd POV

"Father, how could you send her away so soon?!" I shout in rage.

He shakes his head sadly. "It was not my decision to do so. It was a part of the deal she made with the ancient gods to keep the Kishin in line in another dimension, so that I could stay here and take care of you." He rests a hand on my arm. "You must understand, she was only reborn by her own decision. She had hoped to be reborn long before you so that she could reclaim her powers and memories, but that clearly didn't happen. I never even knew she had been a student here until the very end."

"But why Father? Why go through so much just to go back as soon as I met her?"

"She was driven by guilt, and maybe something else that she never said. But we won't have contact with her for a long time. She has much to make up for."

Three Years Later

Kristiana POV

"Hey, wait up Kristi!" I slow down enough for Jess to catch up to me. "That's no fair! How do you run so fast?"

I grin and laugh. "I just go at my normal pace, you're the slow one!" I press the button for the crosswalk and the light signals for us to go across.

Jess pouts as we walk. "Still, you could at least- Kristi, look out!" she shrieks as I see the speeding car veer straight towards me. Times seems to slow down as a black blur whirls me out of the way. I scream and clutch the person's black coat, tears streaming from my eyes. The person, a guy by the sound of it, picks me up and carries me to Jess on the sidewalk.

"Hey, its okay, you're safe." He comforts me, stroking my hair until I finally calm down enough to wipe my face. I look at his face to see familiar gold eyes and white stripes in his black hair. He frowns. "Do I know you sweetie?"

I shake my head. "I dunno. But thank you for saving me, mister." I look at his outfit and see a little skull at the collar on his shirt. "Are you a Shinigami? That's awesome!"

"Kristiana Josephine Hammond! Where are you?!" I whirl around and run in the direction of my aunt's voice, terrified that she will hit me if I get home any later.

I run down the street, crossing the yard to get to the porch, where she is standing with a wooden spatula in her hand, covered in still steaming tomato sauce. "I'm sorry Auntie, someone saved me from being hit by a car at the crosswalk!"

She grabs me by the wrist and drags me into the house. "I don't care what happened, you are home late!" She hits the back of my neck with the hot spatula, making me scream and clutch at my neck. "I don't care what happens that makes you late, you know better by now to be here right on time, you little piece of trash!" She rips away my backpack and starts hitting my back with her spatula even worse.

I try not to scream so I don't bother the neighbors and get her into trouble, but there is a knocking at the door. Auntie stops beating me in favor of answering the door, masking her anger with a sweet smile. "Hello, may I help you, young man?"

I hear the voice of the boy who saved me earlier. "I am from the DWMA, and I heard a disturbance. Where is the child?"

"There is no child here. You must have the wrong house." She says with a harsh voice, and I hear her trying to close the door on him.

He winds up forcing his way in and walks into the kitchen, finding me trying to get up but failing to do so. "What did you do to her, ma'am?" His voice is icy, and I swear it gets cold in the kitchen. "She was fine when I met her at the crosswalk."

She scowls, making me cringe and hide in the boy's grip. "I gave her what she deserves for being home late."

The boy picks me up and I wrap my arms around his neck while he holds me protectively. "I will be taking her away, as you are unfit to be her guardian." He carries me upstairs to my room. "Can you grab some clothes from your closet, then we will go."

"Okay." I pull my bag from his hands and dump the papers onto the floor before going to my closet to grab two dark blue dresses, two shirts, and two jackets. Then I grab the pictures I hid in the bottom of my closet of my parents, who were killed when I was two in a car accident. I go to the dresser and grab some socks, skirts, shorts, and jeans, then go back to the boy, who went to sit on my bed. "I have what I want, can we go now?"

He smiles. "Of course sweetie." I grab his hand and guide him to the front door, where we step out to find a police man waiting for us. "Officer, may I help you?"

"Yes, we received a call about an intruder in this house and a kidnapping, but since you are still here, you can just leave the girl here and there will be no problems."

"Officer, I am taking this child away due to abuse by her guardian, which I came over to investigate in the first place." He says calmly, but his hold tightens on my hand.

The man shakes his head. "I am sorry sir, but it won't work like that."

"But I am afraid it will. I am Death the Kidd, Lord Shinigami's son, and I have every right to take her away for her safety." He pulls out his wallet and shows his picture to the officer, who gets really pale and steps back.

"I am sorry sir. I still need proof of abuse before you can take her away." I pull up my sleeves, showing the scars from old burns from cigarettes and the iron, and a newer set of cuts and burns that were from this week. The officer gasps as Kidd gets really stiff. "Sir, can you make sure she gets proper medical attention while I get the warrant for her guardian's arrest taken care of?"

"Of course." Kidd takes my bag from me and throws it over his shoulder before he picks me up in his arms like I'm delicate. "I will be leaving now. Have a good day." He nods and carries me away from the house and past Jess's house, where she stops playing to see me being carried away.

"Kristi! Where is he taking you?!" She runs out to the sidewalk and grabs my shoe.

Kidd puts me down so I can hug Jess, and steps back to give us a minute. "He's taking me someplace safe, so Auntie won't hurt me anymore."

"Good, she never liked you anyway. I'm just gonna miss you!" She gives me a light hug, knowing that my back hurts still from yesterday, but not knowing what happened today.

"I'll miss you too!" I squish her in a hug before I go back to Kidd and take his hand. "I'll send you a postcard when I get wherever he takes me, I promise."

"Okay, bye!"

Two Days Later

Kidd POV

"Kiddo~! How did you find this little munchkin! She's so adorable!" Father picks up Kristiana and twirls her around, making her laugh. "I think we should definitely keep her!"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I found this mark on her neck last night." I grab her and show him the Shinigami mark on her neck, almost like a tattoo, but it is faint like a scar.

"Oh, I didn't notice that. Very interesting, I must say." The door slams open as Stein walks into the Death Room. "Ah, hello Stein. How are you?"

Stein merely nods and puts out his cigarette upon seeing the little girl. "Who is this? And what injuries do I need to see to?"

I sigh and show Stein the angry red burn on the back of her neck, then gesture to her arms and back. "Her aunt was beating her when I found her, and it looks like the abuse has been going on for at least a year."

He shakes his head as he pulls up her sleeves to look at those injuries. "Good thing you found her when you did, these are getting a minor infection. Kidd, what was she doing that caused her to be attacked?"

"She was apparently late getting home a couple days ago. I took her back to the hotel and treated her injuries as best I could before taking care of the mission and returning late last night."

Stein touches a spot on her arm that I recognized as her worst burn very lightly, but it makes her flinch back, lip between her teeth. "That hurt."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Let's go to the infirmary so I can make it feel better, okay?" Kristi looks at me, and I nod for her to go with him. As they reach the door, I hear Stein talking to Kristi. "If you're good, I'll find you some candy."

I turn to Father. "What does that mark mean? I never encountered that, even with Adrina, nor did she mention it when she was Kristi as my girlfriend."

Father sighs. "It is an ancient magic that marks a person as belonging to a Shinigami, or being someone they hold dear in their previous life. It is possible that she was reborn as a child so that she could be raised right this time, with a happy life."

"She hasn't had a happy life at all though." I point out. "Although, she seems to make Stein seem a little saner, ever since we lost Adrina when she fought that last time. He never really got over losing her."

"Neither did you, Kidd, but you accepted it easier than he ever could after having adopted her." He looks at me through his mask. "I will discuss with him whether he would like to adopt her or not, as she will be able to keep Marie's attention for the most part so she doesn't go on another emotional rollercoaster."

I shiver. "Maybe Marie ought to adopt her instead of Stein."

"Nonsense. Stein is great with children, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Anyway, I will talk to them about it, so you run along and tell your resonance team that you will be bringing a four-year old to dinner with you. You can keep babysitting her until we get the legal guardian business all settled, okay?"

"Thank you, Father." I leave, going to the infirmary, when I hear shouting from the infirmary as well as a small, high-pitched screech of anger. I rush in to find Black Star making a huge mess trying to catch Kristi, who is more nimble and faster than she looks, as she dives under a bed, sliding to roll under the next one.

"Black Star!" Stein yells as he tries to hit the idiot ninja with his scalpels. "Stop chasing her around!" One scalpel comes dangerously close to hitting his neck, but still misses.

"MAKA CHOP!" A book comes flying past my head as Maka throws an encyclopedia at Black Star, hitting him in the center of his face. "Where is Tsubaki?"

"I was just leaving the house to see Kidd when he ran off, and I didn't know he came here." Tsubaki bends down to help her meister to his feet, while Stein bends over to look under a bed.

"Uh, Kristiana? Where did you go?" he calls as he checks under all the beds, not finding her there. I turn around to find her on top of a medicine cabinet next to the window, crouched and ready to make another run for it.

"Found her. Come on down, that cabinet isn't made to hold your weight." Slowly, she edges forward, then slides off, landing silently on the ground on her bare feet, which are covered in still more bruises.

"Hey, Kidd, who is this?" Soul asks, peeking over my shoulder to peer at Kristi, who stares at him, seemingly fascinated by his features.

"This is Kristiana, but she goes by Kristi." I answer as Stein picks her up and places her on his desk next to an open first aid kit. He takes her wrist and applies some antiseptic and wraps the large burn on her left elbow.

"How old is she? For her to have so many injuries and hardly react… it's almost as if she's used to being in pain." Tsubaki asks, and Maka goes to stand next to Stein, handing him a new roll of bandages.

"I believe she is four, or close to it."

Black Star suddenly looks down at the ground, seeming to be lost in thought. "Who did this and why? She's just a little girl." He whispers after a moment.

"My Auntie." Kristi answers him. "I was given to her after a car accident that killed my parents, and she missed my mommy too much, so she started drinking and smoking. One day she broke her ash tray, so she grabbed me and used me instead. She started to like beating me up, and made me do all the chores, and she beat me with a hot spoon for anything. Then she started using other things, like the knives and her belts, and she said I was worthless and that she would kill me one day."

When she stops, her face is frightfully blank, clear of all emotion, and even the pain she must be feeling from Stein tending her wounds no longer bothers her. Maka has her hands over her mouth as Tsubaki's eyes fill with tears.

"Kristiana…" Stein puts a hand on her shoulder, being finished with bandaging her burns. "No running around for the next week, you hear? I'm going to give you some medicine so you won't be hurting as much from your burns." He hands me a bag with instructions on it. "I will trust that you can take care of her medication schedule?"

"Absolutely."

I smile lightly to myself as I carry the small, sleeping girl up to her new room, which still needs to be decorated properly for a little girl. I wonder what she would like for her theme, princesses or music? Whatever she likes, I must find out soon, so that she'll feel more at home here, or at least have her own room for whenever she stays here if her guardians have to go anywhere for a mission.

I look down at the faint mark on her neck as I tuck her under the pale pink blanket on her soft bed, before everything fades away.

 _Adrina, in her ancient uniform, but bloody and battered, stands before Father and I with a select few of her friends. "They've betrayed us for Asura, Lord Shinigami. I could not convince them to keep their promise, and for that I apologize."_

 _Pity fills Father's voice as he answers, "There was nothing you could have done to stop them. They lost their faith, and were still sore about you becoming their leader at such a young age. I cannot blame you for their actions, even if you were their leader for a time."_

 _She bows deeply to us, a hand over her heart. "I can no longer speak for any others, but know that I will serve you, and keep my promise to you, until I draw my last breath."_

 _I smile and step towards her. "Does that mean you'll go on a date with me?" I ask as I guide her surely sore body back upright._

 _She smiles at last, a small twinkle returning to her eyes, but still shadowed with the pain of betrayal. "I would be honored to go on a date with you, Kidd."_

I gasp and pull my hand away from her. What was that, a memory? Could this small girl truly be…?

…Adrina…? Dare I hope…?

Don't own Soul Eater.


	2. Chapter 2

Kidd POV

I stare out the window, watching as the laughing moon set, the grinning yet slack face of the sun peeking over the distant horizon. How could I have ever doubted Lianna and Kristi, or even Adrina? They said we would be together again, someday, somehow. I close my eyes sadly, bowing my head.

" _Kidd?" she asks from the doorway, concern the only emotion I can pick up from her._

 _I turn my gaze onto Adrina's cloaked form, soaked from the rain. "Adrina," I greet her kindly, but distantly._

 _She sighs, before hanging up her sopping blue cloak in front of the fire place. "Your Father is worried about you, Kidd. You've grown distant while I was gone, and he was hoping you would talk to me about it."_

 _I smile without really meaning to. "I've just missed you, is all."_

 _She rolls her eyes with a snort of laughter. "Romantic," she whispers, before leaning close to kiss my cheeks symmetrically. "So, now that I'm back you'll get out a bit more, is that it?"_

 _I hum in thought, before wrapping my arms about her small waist and pulling her close, her yelp of surprise the sweetest music, making me chuckle in amusement. "Maybe after a little while of having you to myself," I tease her, burying my face in her hair._

" _Kidd!" she laughs, before the joy melts away. "I… I don't want to kill the mood, but you need to know something."_

 _I pull away from her and stare into her eyes, and see a small seed of fear in her eyes. "What is it?"_

" _You know how Jack has visions sometimes?" she asks, to which I nod. "He had one when I went to visit him before my trip. He said… you were still mortal, and that the Rogue Guardians will come for you soon. That's why I went away so suddenly, I had to speak to an old friend and ally of your Father's. We've been planning how to handle any kind of situation, and she will come to this dimension if she must to keep you safe."_

 _I frown in thought, unable to think of who she could possibly be referring to. "I know of all of Father's friends and allies, and none of them ever mentions you."_

 _She smiles, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "You don't know them all. And you've only met her once, but you mean a lot to her, more than you might think."_

" _And you won't tell me, will you?" I ask in exasperation._

" _Nope," she chirps. "It's for you to learn when the time comes. Though I can't tell you anything about her beyond what I already have, I have a feeling that it will be a very long time before you see her again."_

"You were right about everything, Adrina. Why didn't I believe you then?" I whisper sadly.

"Who's Adrina?" a small, tired voice mumbles from the bed.

I turn around to find those blue eyes staring into my soul, the same eyes as Adrina, and K-Hannah. "Someone I loved very much," I answer her with a sad smile. "She died a few years ago in a fight."

She blinks up at me innocently, before her eyes seem to glaze over. "It wasn't your fault, you know."

I stare down at her, gaping for a moment. "What… what wasn't my fault?"

"Anything," she whispers, before laying back down and falling back asleep.

I can't help it, I just walk out of her room in silence, not once looking back at her. I go straight to the locked room right across from mine, one that hasn't been entered since the day she died in my arms, when I left the small box containing the last of her existence within. I just rest my hand on the knob, the cold metal a shock to my warm hand, and still shining as though it had only been polished yesterday. Somehow, I could swear that I smell the light, sugary lotion she loved so much, as though she's standing right next to me.

Before I know it, Stein is standing next to me. "I know you miss her, but you need to come back to the rest of the world. She wouldn't want you to torture yourself like this over her."

"I know. But it's just so… it's so strange without her here, since I'm remembering everything a lot more clearly." I take a deep breath. "I need to take a mission, get away from here for a while."

He sighs and turns the screw in his head. "I thought this would happen eventually. I've already discussed this with Lord Shinigami, and he has found you a mission to hunt down several escaped Kishins, ones that other meisters would be unable to handle."

I nod slowly. "How long will the mission take?"

"Years, a few if you're lucky, at least ten if you're not."

I suck in a sharp breath. That long? "How many escaped from Lianna's dimension?"

"She doesn't even know, but they are ones that she's always found difficult to control." He levels a stern look at me. "Just be careful Kidd, they have it out for those of the Shinigami line, and have had plenty of time to gain power."

"I understand, Stein. We'll take the mission, and head out tonight." I look back at the door one last time, before walking away. "Can you take care of Kristiana while we're gone?"

He sounds pained as he answers, "Of course, Kidd. But make sure you come back in one piece, if only for her sake."

Don't own Soul Eater.


	3. Chapter 3

One Week Later

Marie POV

Stein comes down the stairs of Death Manor with the sleeping little girl in his arms, tears staining one of his shoulders and her tiny cheeks. A small bag with her belongings is thrown over his other shoulder, as he holds the four-year-old close.

I get up from my seat at the dining table and take the small girl from him. "I wish we didn't have to tell her. She had gotten so attached to Kidd and the girls," I whisper to him.

He turns the screw in his head several times more than he usually does. "I wish we didn't either, but she has the right to know."

"And what do we do with her now? Kidd was supposed to be able to come back at least once a month to check on her, but without having any kind of contact with him…" my voice trails off, breaking slightly.

He rests a hand on my back gently and guides me to the front door, probably thinking to bring her to get her settled in his house. "We'll take care of her like we promised him. Unless he finds a way to get into contact with us again, she is our responsibility now. Plus, we don't know if she had some kind of significance that prompted Kidd to want to keep her so close."

I bite my lip, worried for the young Shinigami. "Do… do you think they're going to be alright?"

"I can't honestly answer that question, Marie."

My grip tightens on the little girl in my arms. I'll take care of her, and raise her right. She may not have much potential to become a meister, and is certainly no weapon, but that doesn't mean she will be taken away from our world.

Kidd POV

Unfamiliar stabs of pain tear through my heart, jolting me awake in the middle of the night. I stare around the small cave the girls and I have been forced to take shelter in. I can't understand it, but it feels almost like the heartbreak that I felt as Kri-Hannah breathed her last. Then I remember that our mirrors were all shattered in the last battle, ones designed to connect directly to the ones carried by Kristiana, Stein, Lianna, and Father without the need of dialing, simply stating the name of the person we want to speak with.

Sudden horror fills me as I remember just how far away we are, and how long ago we were supposed to check in. Surely they know we got out of that fight relatively unscathed? Except for the fact that we're on the other side of the world… in the middle of an uninhabited territory…

With no way to tell them we're alright, and no way to get back?

I bury my face in my hands, taking slow, calming breaths. How could I have made such a great mistake? Not have told Father where we were headed, or where we were staying before moving?

I can't believe that they are all going to think the three of us are dead, if we can't get back to civilization, but that's simply a pipe dream now. The last battle destroyed our previous campsite, and most of our belongings. Where did we go so wrong that the band of Kishins were able to find us so effortlessly, yet we couldn't find a trace of them for days on end?

Suddenly, it hits me. We don't need to hunt so hard for them, we let them come to us. Isn't that something that my sister mentioned when we had contact with her at the start of the mission? Or was it something Liz or Patti said we might try out first?

Stein POV

"So she could become a meister, but only if the need arises?" I ask to clarify with Lord Shinigami, twisting the screw in my head once as I glance to the side, where the small girl is sitting quietly with the only other Spirit Guardian we know of.

He nods slowly. "She could, but she is still the reincarnation of the most powerful Spirit Guardian I have ever met, or felt. Preferably, I would have her training with Jack to recover her abilities, as he has been searching fruitlessly for their reincarnated friends for a long time now."

"Could the others who remained loyal to you be controlled the way he was?" I propose, thinking it's possibly the only reason he hasn't been able to find his ancient companions. "Or could they simply be hiding, confused as their memories of past lives merge with those of this life?"

"Both have a high chance of being the case, although I would hope they are simply unaware of their significance." He brings his hands together before his mask in thought. "That decides it, she must train with Jack, if we are to stand a chance of finding the Spirit Guardians, and eventually Kidd."

I nod slowly in agreement. "But what will this training entail?"

"I haven't got a clue!" he chirps, to which I facepalm. "We'll just leave that up to Jack, as he ought to be the expert."

Kristi POV

"Lord Shinigami?" I ask quietly as he rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah munchkin?" he asks, really cheerful, but I know he misses Kidd.

I look deeply into the eyeholes of his mask. "I remember Jack, and your old mask."

He stiffens as I blink slowly up at him. "How?" he asks me.

I smile sadly. "I dreamed that I was in another world since Mommy and Daddy died, and I remembered this room. I just didn't say anything."

Stein kneels next to me, and takes off his glasses. "What is your name?"

"Adrina, Spirit Guardian to Death the Kidd and Lord Shinigami and leader of the Spirit Clan."

I know Lord Shinigami is smiling behind the mask. "Welcome back, Adrina. We've missed you very much."

I don't own Soul Eater.


End file.
